tag:,2010:/1 2010-03-11T03:43:50Z Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1493 2010-03-11T12:00:00Z 2010-03-11T03:43:50Z

First home away from home...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com First home away from home]]> March 11, 2010 (Thursday) If you like, you can go to the Archives of this blog and find a few series like houses I lived in, jobs I had, and churches I served. Some of them can be found in the September 2007 archives. In that same vein, I will give a few additional details about the towns I mentioned in Tuesday’s blog about where I’ve lived in Texas. A few weeks before my 18th birthday in 1949, I moved to Marshall to attend what is now East Texas Baptist University. I dearly loved being there in beautiful East Texas in the fall of the year. I went there because my friends from church, Troy Conner and David Foster, were students also. We three roomed together on campus. The Vice President of the school had spoken at our church banquet for graduating seniors (high school), heard me sing and announced I was being given a voice scholarship. It was a marvelous opportunity, but I was allergic to something there at Marshall, and was sick every day with hayfever and asthma, problems I already had but which became worse there. I was absent from voice lessons, practice sessions, and my other classes as well, so at the end of 9 weeks, I withdrew from school there and started over at Baylor, which was on the Quarter system and the winter quarter was about to get under way. Marshall is a nice town. The university campus has many beautiful, stately trees, alive with color in the fall but beautiful also in the spring and summer months. ETBU had about 450 students when I was there but about 1200 now. Marshall is about the same size (25,000) today as it was back then. Larger nearby cities are Longview and Shreveport, as is beautiful Caddo Lake. Take a look at Marshall Visit ETBU ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1490 2010-03-10T12:00:00Z 2010-03-10T04:55:54Z

Don't we have something better to do?...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Don't we have something better to do?]]> March 10, 2010 (Wednesday) ”See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:16 NIV). Sarah Palin, who wrote notes for her speech on her palm, has been ridiculed for doing so, but in a recent speech reminded her audience of this verse, saying she was in good company with the practice. I write my sermon notes on paper. I use those outlines when I preach. I tried preaching without notes for a while, but discovered that I was using a lot of mental energy trying to recall the outline. I felt that was wasted energy that could be used in the actual presentation, so I abandoned the “no notes” policy. Instead, I just try to keep my using notes an “invisible” part of my preaching. As I have grown older, however, I have found the notes more necessary, because my short term memory does not always serve me well. Hey, what difference does it make? Notes on the palm, shirt cuff, paper, teleprompter? Why is it so important for us to know? We need to be less critical. I'm not talking about politics; I'm talking about simple human decency. I can’t help thinking, in Mrs. Palin’s case, that her writing notes on her palm would not have been reported in other, less asinine, times. FDR used a wheelchair, which was hardly ever photographed or mentioned. The press earned its right to freedom by being responsible in reporting things that really mattered. Today there is no such thing as privacy for celebrities. How would we like to have a small army of photographers following us everywhere we go? Somehow that does not seem right. Oh, but it is said, “we have a right to know.” Do we, really? An entire industry has come into being with things like the tabloids, which have influenced the main line press to report as serious news the private concerns of just about everyone. Sometimes, when you hear folks discussing the personal lives of others in a judgmental or titillating way, don’t you just want to scream, “Get a life!” ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1488 2010-03-09T12:00:00Z 2010-03-10T02:30:49Z

t

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Some places where I've been]]> March 9, 2010 (Tuesday) When I was in college, I enjoyed wearing western boots, jeans and a denim jacket. There was no reason-I just liked wearing those clothes at times. The jeans and jacket were very cheap in those days. The cost of the boots for each year I wore them was also very cheap, because I kept them a long, long time. Back then, college kids liked cheap stuff, needed cheap stuff. So a few memories came back to me on February 28 when we observed “Go Texan” day at the Timbergrove Baptist Church in Houston. I’ve been devoid of western stuff for many years, so I bought a western shirt and some new jeans that fit a little better than the ones I already had. No boots, but I borrowed a string tie from Troy, just for the morning at church. I have several of those ties that folks have given me through the years, and they are really nice, but they were in Rockport. Anyway, the point of all this is that I did not feel any more like a Texan than I already did. I am a Texan. My ancestors came from Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England, and finally arrived in Texas via New York, Minnesota, California, Arkansas, and maybe somewhere else too. But I was born in Texas and never lived in any other state. In fact, I’ve hardly ever been out of the state. For the first 18 years of my life, I never left Houston except for a few brief visits to Lufkin, Keltys and Clawson, to visit with our East Texas kin. When I was in high school, I went on a special train one time to Beaumont to see a football game in a driving storm. Later I took another special train to Fort Worth to see another football game with my friends. I also went on a special bus to San Antonio to participate in a speech contest. I don't think I ever spent more than one night at a time out of town, including the nights my dad and I spent fishing at Freeport. When I went away to college, I lived in Marshall, then in Waco. I stayed overnight and through weekends in Groesbeck. Spent a little time in Keys Valley (now lying under Lake Belton), Prairie Point near Groesbeck, then became pastor at Oletha, where I spent more time and found my wife. After Waco, there was Cleburne, Fort Worth and Lampasas, then back to Fort Worth where I was determined to get through the seminary, but not before moving out to Briar, between Azle and Boyd. After that, they gave me a degree and we moved to Kosse, then Dallas, and finally to Rockport. All Texas places. Like a salmon swimming upstream to the place where he came into the world, I finally made it back to Houston, but not before spending some time in Refugio and Ingleside, besides preaching here and there in places like Beeville, Stockdale, Portland and Corpus Christi. Hey, ya’ll, ahm uh Texan. Oh, and I preached in California, Oregon, Ohio, Mississippi, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and sang or preached in revival meetings all over Texas, as well as Okinawa, where I preached to soldiers bound for Vietnam. And I preached for a week in Jamaica. But all those places were very brief visits. I’ve spent my life in Texas. So, pardners, ya’ll come to see us. We'll put the big pot in the little 'un and have us a real good time. Ah 'speck ya'll have heard that before. The Houston rodeo is goin' great guns r'at now. Didja guess that already? ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1487 2010-03-08T05:47:42Z 2010-03-08T13:53:18Z

in the Houston Chronicle...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com in the Houston Chronicle]]> March 8, 2010 (Monday) The Sandhill Cranes have returned to the fields on FM 1069 west of Rockport, after an absence from those fields for a few years. The birds make quite an interesting sight from the highway, because there are so many of them, and they are such big birds. The Sandhills and the Whooping Cranes are about the same size, five feet tall, but because of their coloration differences, don’t seem to look alike to the casual observer. Actually, except for the color, they are almost the same. I was surprised Saturday as I drove north from Rockport, to see several Whoopers feeding in a field near Highway 35. It’s a sight I had never seen before, because the birds usually stay in their territory on the Aransas Wildlife Refuge. Each family of three requires one square mile, which they claim and defend upon arrival for the winter visit. But there they were, feeding together. Maybe it was one family. Probably was. The Houston Chronicle carried an article in the March 7 edition about the Rockport area. The writer referred to Rockport as a “hamlet,” and had lots of good things to say about it. The word means a small village, and I won’t argue about that, but after entering the Rockport-Fulton-Lamar/Holiday Beach area, you are in it for 12 miles before emerging from it on the other side. I’m not sure “hamlet” is the exact description. Now, Bayside, west of Rockport across Copano Bay, could be described accurately with that word. It’s a lovely little town, in the vicinity of old Saint Mary’s, a port town long since destroyed by storms and abandoned, but important in its day as the county seat for a while. Nestled at Mission Bay, it was the gateway from the sea to Refugio, a product of Spanish explorations in the eighteenth century. Houston is not without its colorful history and interesting past, and I’ve written about some of that in past blogs. In the future I’ll probably write more about all these and other areas where I have lived in Texas. There’s a lot to say. ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1483 2010-03-05T12:00:00Z 2010-03-07T02:33:06Z

God's revelation of Himself...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com God's revelation of Himself]]> March 5, 2010 (Friday) The old T.V. Series, "Dragnet," featured a character named "Joe Friday," who always started an interview with the words, "Just the facts." That's all he wanted to hear as he investigated a crime. Just the facts. There are some fundamental facts of our Christian faith, and they are taught in Hebrews 1:1-3. What are these basic facts? Fact number one: The Fact of God Fact number two: The Fact that God Has Spoken to Man Fact number three: The Fact that God Has Spoken in His Son 1. God exists. There is a universal hunger for God. The world makes no sense without God. The Bible does not attempt to prove God's existence; it assumes it. God is real to all. It is a waste of time trying to prove God's existence. He is the great "I Am." 2. God has spoken to man. As Hebrews 1:1 says, He has spoken "in various ways." He has spoken through nature, miraculous revelation, signs and types, individual people, events, and the Bible. He has spoken "at many times" also. He let each generation know what each needed to know. No one individual received the entire revelation. The Bible is "God-breathed." It is the record of God speaking in various ways at many times. 3. God has spoken in His Son. The life and work of Jesus Christ is God's final revelation to mankind. He completed God's revelation of Himself. Nothing remains to be said. There is none greater through whom He might speak. He is God's final word on sin and salvation. God continues to speak to us through His Holy Spirit. Everything the Spirit does, however, is in perfect harmony with these basic facts of our faith. He will not lead us to deny any of these facts. God has spoken to us from time to time in many ways, but His full and complete revelation is in His Eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV - In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1481 2010-03-04T12:00:00Z 2010-03-04T05:12:28Z

Love for all...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Love for all]]> March 4, 2010 (Thursday) A Russian billionaire forfeited his $60 million down payment (plus interest) on the most expensive house in the world, built in France by a Belgian king. The lady who owns the house gave all the money to ten charities. There will be a one second period of silence so that all of us can shed tears for the young Russian playboy billionaire. What? No tears? It's hard for us to feel sorry for such a rich man whose lifestyle involved hiring 20 prostitutes for a party not long ago. Actually, there are many people in the world who find it impossible or very difficult to feel sorry for anyone under any circumstances. What bothers me, however, is the fact that there are many Christian people who have little compassion for people who are less fortunate than themselves. Jesus taught us to care about people. The Bible has more than 300 verses about helping the poor. God's heart is open toward the poor and suffering people of this world. "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor" (Ps. 140:12). God commands us as His people to care about poor people: "If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks" (Deut. 15:7). Jesus taught us to care deeply about the needy among us: He said, "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." (Matt 5:42). Perhaps we should tremble when we hear the words of the prophet Ezekiel, "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it" (Ezek. 16:49ff.). God cares about poor and suffering people. So must we. ______________________________________________________________________________ For more verses on this subject, please click here. If you would like to see more Scripture verses on this subject, please go to the search page of your browser and search for, "The Bible and the Poor." You may be surprised at the amount of material available on this subject.]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1479 2010-03-03T12:00:00Z 2010-03-03T00:37:12Z

The good kind and the bad kind...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com The good kind and the bad kind]]> March 3, 2010 (Wednesday) Yesterday was Texas Independence Day, the day in 1836 when Texas declared independence from Mexico. The battle at the Alamo was taking place, and a spirit of independence was in the air. At least eleven Mexican states also declared their independence from the government led by Santa Ana. Only the territory of Texas was successful in securing independence from Mexico. All the others were brought into submission. The Alamo fell on March 6, but on April 21 the Texans defeated Santa Ana and his army at San Jacinto, and Texas became an independent nation. Independence is a much-desired quality. The Declaration of Independence of the United States was a "do or die" document. Once the revolution began, only victory would be sufficient. The fact is, however, that the odds in no way favored the colonists and it seemed their defeat was a foregone conclusion. It is hard to look at that part of our history without believing that God must have had a hand in that victory. Independence is an admired trait in a person. We admire the person who makes his own way and depends on himself without expecting help from others. Yet it must be stated also that interdependence is sometimes needed. Working together is good. Cooperation is great. Joining hands and hearts in a great cause generates enthusiasm and energy. The fact of the matter is that the man and woman that God first created decided to act independently of God. They had no declaration of independence; they just rebelled and asserted it. They sinned by disobeying God's clear commands. All their descendants have made the same error. It is a serious matter, for, after all, the Scriptures themselves make a special point of it: "The wages of sin is death!" (Romans 6:23). To all us rebels, God calls and invites us to come to our senses by accepting his forgiveness and grace and living our lives His way. "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool'" (Isaiah 1:18). ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1477 2010-03-02T12:00:00Z 2010-03-03T00:40:15Z

Where is your victory?...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Where is your victory?]]> March 2, 2010 (Tuesday) I participated in the funeral service for Mrs. Doris Howard yesterday. The Howard family-Ben, Doris, Phil and Gary-joined the First Baptist Church of Rockport November 1, 1964. That same day Wanda and I and our two sons, David and Danny, joined the church also, because it was our first Sunday as pastor and family at the church. We have been friends with the Howards since that day, 45 years and 4 months ago. Her death was a strong reminder to me that none of us is getting younger, and all of us will meet our Lord in that "land beyond the river," so often the subject of gospel songs. What does the Bible teach us about the death of a Christian? When Paul discussed the subject, he began by saying, "We shall not all die.." What did he mean by that? He was telling us that, when Jesus returns to raise the dead, every child of God who is living or dead will receive a new body. It follows, therefore, that those living when He comes will not die, because the new body will never die. When Christ comes, He will bring with Him all those believers who have died. Where were they? They were with the Lord. We know that because the Bible says, "absent from the body, present with the Lord." Don't ever be afraid of death! Because of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, death has been defeated in our behalf. We can stand before the grave and say, "Oh, Death, you have no power over me. You may have my physical body one of these days, but you have no power because you have been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some Scriptures about The Christian Hope 1 Corinthians 15 2 Corinthians 5 1 Thessalonians 4 ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1475 2010-03-01T12:00:00Z 2010-03-01T01:57:10Z

Oh, yes, I know He cares...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Oh, yes, I know He cares]]> As a great theologian lay dying, he was asked to sum up his beliefs in a few words. He obliged with this sentence from an old hymn: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” A gospel song asks, “Does Jesus care?” Yes, He cares about us. Verses from the Book of Hebrews (2:5-18; 4:14-5:10) make plain the undeniable fact that Jesus cares about us. He lifts us (2:5-13). Man, made in God’s image, has dignity. Man lost that dignity by rebelling against God and sinning. God restores that dignity through Christ. He liberates us (2:14-18). He liberates us from sinning. He liberates us from fear. He liberates us from guilt. He loves us (4:14-5:10). He loves us enough to help us (4:14-16). He loves us enough to save us eternally (5:1-10). We are told in Romans 5:6-8 that, while we were still helpless, Christ died for us, though we were ungodly. His sacrifice reveals the love of God for us all. _________________________________________________________________________ Read the Scriptures in this blog. Click on each reference: Hebrews 2:5-18 Hebrews 4:14-16 Hebrews 5:1-10 ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1472 2010-02-26T12:00:00Z 2010-02-26T04:00:08Z

Take delight in the Lord...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Take delight in the Lord]]> February 26, 2010 (Friday) Fourteen years have come and gone since I retired from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Rockport, Texas. Looking back over these years, I consider myself a very fortunate person. Counting my blessings, I suppose number one would be the fact that I’m still alive. Every day I read the obituaries and there are always people on that list that were younger than I am. I propose no answer to “Why me?” I don’t know, but I’m grateful to be here today. So far, so good. I don’t fear death, but I’ve always been of the opinion that we should live one life at a time, and do our best in it. I’m living this one right now, and thankful to be doing it. When the time comes to be “absent from the body and present with the Lord,” I’m ready and thankful to have a Heavenly home being prepared for me by the Lord Himself (John 14). Through no initiative of mine, God has used wonderful people to make possible continued opportunities of service and to make sure that all my needs have been met. There was a time, earlier in life, when I wondered what the future held for me, but I knew deep in my heart that God would provide, and He has done so. I thank Him and praise Him for His loving care, and for His grace in giving me opportunities to serve Him. To all those reading this who are worried or concerned about the future, I ask that you take to heart these verses: “Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:3-4 New Living Translation). We all must walk through some deep, dark valleys along life’s way, but the Lord is with those who trust Him. ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1469 2010-02-25T12:00:00Z 2010-02-25T05:13:52Z

A site to help you make them...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com A site to help you make them]]> February 25, 2010 (Thursday) I ran across a web site with an intriguing name: “Smugopedia.” It’s sub-title is, “Pretend you know better.” Its mission statement warns us that the site offers the means by which you can have a fleeting sense of self-satisfaction at the cost of alienating your friends and loved ones. http://www.smugopedia.com/ It gives you bits of trivial, little-known information. Armed with the info, you are free to annoy and pester everyone with your display of superior knowledge, being sure to be smug about it. As I read through the gospels, I am impressed with the way Jesus talked so simply about things everyone already knew. He just reminded them of things like the beautiful flowers to teach a lesson about how God cares about all of us. Yesterday’s blog about the size of the universe was intended to engender humility in us earthlings. It certainly was not intended to display my knowledge, because I was merely relaying a message. I’m amazed at the fact that things like the times of sunrise and sunset and the phases of the moon are known by the scientists, and can be computed for any day of the future. Frankly, I don’t know how they do that. So I can’t throw my two cents into the conversations about it. If I don’t understand these things, it’s a cinch I don’t understand the greater issues concerning the size of the universe. But I am impressed by what the scientists tell me about it. I would rather learn from Jesus about how to share information in a way that blesses others, than to learn from Smugopedia how to be annoying and obnoxious by always having the last word. I suppose the purported prayer of a preacher about his sermon fits any conversation: "Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff, and nudge me when I've said enough." ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1467 2010-02-24T12:00:00Z 2010-02-24T04:39:05Z

Half a mile long?...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Half a mile long?]]> February 24, 2010 (Wednesday) Find an 8 inch ball. Set it down on the ground. Let that ball represent the sun. Now walk a little over half a mile and push a pin into the ground. Let it be the smallest pin you can find, for the head will represent the planet Pluto. It’s the planet farthest away from the sun. Now go back to the 8 inch ball, the sun. Taking one yard steps, walk 26 paces and drop a peppercorn (0.08 inches wide) on the ground. That’s the earth. Actually the earth is 93,000,000 miles from the sun, which is 800,000 miles across. The earth is 8,000 miles wide. Now gather up the other eight planets. Mercury and Mars, like Pluto, are pinheads. Venus, like the earth is a peppercorn. Neptune and Uranus are peanuts, Saturn is a hazelnut, and Jupiter is a pecan. The nine planets are placed like this, when the sun is an eight-inch ball: Mercury, 10 one-yard paces from the sun, Venus, 9 more, Earth, 7 more. Mars is 14 paces from the earth, and Jupiter, 95 paces from Mars. From Jupiter to Saturn, 112 paces. Saturn to Uranus, 249 paces. Uranus to Neptune, 281 paces. Neptune to Pluto, 242 paces. When you consider that each step represents 3,600,000 miles, that’s a lot of empty space. The size of our solar system boggles the mind, doesn’t it? However, our sun with its nine (eight if you eliminate Pluto as some do), planets is only a tiny part of the Milky Way galaxy, a collection of suns, which is so far across that it must be measured in light years, rather than miles. A light year is the distance light travels in an earth year. Light moves at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. Our galaxy is 100,000 light years across, and an average of 1,000 light years thick. New discoveries are still being made. Now we know that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies, many much larger than our own. The vastness of the universe outstrips the ability of our minds to comprehend it. If you want to teach the size of the solar system, take the kids outside to a big park with an 8-inch ball, a pecan, peppercorns, peanuts, hazelnut and a few pinheads, and walk with the kids a half mile from the sun to Pluto. Psalm 8: “What is man that thou are mindful of him?” ____________________________________________________________________ After you have read this blog, you might want to read the real article on which it is based. Click here. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ When you have had your coffee and your mind is clear, you might want to take a look at these videos: Click here Click here too if you like ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1465 2010-02-23T12:00:00Z 2010-02-23T03:28:44Z

2 Chronicles 7:14...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com 2 Chronicles 7:14]]> February 23, 2010 (Tuesday) Remember “Mission Impossible?” The agent’s instructions were always given to him via tape recording. The end of the message always said, “This message will self-destruct..” and then the whole tape, recorder and all, destroyed itself. "Self-destruct" is the word for what happened. “Self-destruct” seems to be the word for what’s happening in Washington these days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Washington in such a state of disarray. Not only are the parties fighting each other; members of the same party are strongly disagreeing. Our polarization makes conversation difficult as we carefully avoid inflammatory subjects. It's not just Washington. Perhaps our government is simply reflecting the mood of many in America. Whatever happened to the great spirit in this country in the days following "9-11?" We were a united, praying people then. That spirit existed in our government leaders and in people of all political parties and all walks of life. For a while, we got our priorities straight. The Scriptures warn us about putting all our trust in government to the exclusion of trust in God. “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save” (Psalm 146:3 NIV). “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8 NIV). Can we get our priorities straight once again? The age-old answer to our dilemma is found in the Bible: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron 7:14 NIV). ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1464 2010-02-22T12:00:00Z 2010-02-22T00:32:45Z

Did he always tell the truth?...

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Did he always tell the truth?]]> February 22, 2010 (Monday) George Washington was born on this day in 1732 in Virginia. He was our first president. He never lived in the White House, because it was not completed until after his death. He was inaugurated in New York and lived there and in Philadelphia during his presidency. He did not wear wooden teeth, but one set of his teeth were made of metal and springs and other assorted materials. Perhaps the most common myth about him was the story about his chopping down the cherry tree and then confessing it when asked. His reply, “I cannot tell a lie,” is well-known, although he never actually said it, as far as we know. There is someone who cannot tell a lie, according to Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18. Titus 1:2 speaks of “the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised,” and Hebrews 6:18 says it is “impossible for God to lie.” A question often discussed by ministerial students is, “Is there anything God cannot do?” Yes, God cannot lie. Why? Because if he lied, He would no longer be God, because lying is a sin. God is holy. God is perfect in every way. He always tells the truth. Leon Hale’s February 17 article in the Chronicle asks if we know anyone who has never lied. The clear implication is that all of us have lied, although we may have rationalized that what we said was not exactly a lie. I’m sure he’s right about that. I conclude this serious subject with a joke: FATHER (reprovingly)--"Do you know what happens to liars when they die?" JOHNNY--"Yes, sir; they lie still." ]]> tag:www.charlesfake.com,2010://1.1462 2010-02-19T12:00:00Z 2010-02-19T01:18:44Z

Keeps you going, and going, and......

Charles Fake http://www.charlesfake.com Keeps you going, and going, and... ]]> February 19, 2010 (Friday) Paul concludes the matchless Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, with the declaration, “These three remain: faith, hope and love.” Though love is the greatest of the three, faith and hope are eternal also. Faith, hope and love will always be with us. Hope is described in Hebrews 6:19-20 as an anchor of the soul. Just as an anchor stabilizes and steadies a ship, so hope stabilizes and steadies the soul. Endurance is possible because of hope. How could the early Christians endure the awful persecutions of those early days of the Faith? They bravely entered the arenas to be tortured and killed, because they had hope. Their hope extended beyond this life. Anchored to their faith in Christ and assurance of eternal life in Heaven, they were able courageously to face insurmountable obstacles and unbeatable foes. They knew the truth of Romans 8, for they were “more than conquerors.” Hope keeps you moving toward your goals in life. Your faith in Christ enables you expect something better. Hope keeps you trusting God to keep His promises – promises recorded in the Bible, promises made to you personally, and promises that you don’t even know about. Hope keeps you working for the Lord. Knowing that death is not the end, but the beginning of something greater than anything known in this life. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you,” and He keeps His promises. Love makes you good. Faith makes you strong. Hope keeps you going. ]]>